Pattern of serum concentrations of prolactin and progesterone during pregnancy and lactation in the brown hare (Lepus europaeus).
A heterologous radioimmunoassay system developed for the rabbit has been shown to measure prolactin in the hare. Concentrations of prolactin showed a significant (P less than 0.01) increase in the last 3 days of pregnancy (87.7 +/- 11.7 compared with 9.8 +/- 1.4 (S.E.M.) micrograms/l; n = 10 and 9 respectively) in pregnant females isolated from males, as well as in pregnant females kept with males and mating prepartum. This rise of prolactin at the end of pregnancy was not due to mating stimuli and occurred at a time when progesterone levels were still high (159 nmol/l). The injection of a slow-release preparation of bromocriptine (5 mg s.c.), which reduces prolactin secretion at the end of pregnancy, did not impair parturition. During lactation, prolactin levels increased significantly (61.2 +/- 19.8 compared with 5.3 +/- 0.1 micrograms/l; P less than 0.01) only after suckling stimuli.
Caillol
M
M
INRA, Unité de Neurobiologie de la Reproduction, Centre de Recherches de Jouy-en-Josas, France.
Mondain-Monval
M
M
McNeilly
A S
AS
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation / Q000097:blood*; D007793:Lagomorpha / Q000097:blood*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008322:Mammals / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000097:blood*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods
D011374:Progesterone; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone